Several hurt at a Pembrokeshire campsite. Sounds like a horrific - but freak - accident; thankfully there were 2 surgeons & a firefighter camping there.
Horrible incident, but equally shocked to see so little protection for campers from vehicles on a major A road, just a small ditch! - Accident just waiting to happen IMHO!
Host of reasons I'd never choose a site/pitch like that, loose dog/child getting on to road, as in this accident, vehicles leaving road and entering camping area, NO security whatsoever etc. Everyone to their own and all that, but not for me!
Having looked at the campsite I was horrified that there was hardly any boundary protection between the campsite and the road. I wonder if that might change after this accident?
David
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
We've stayed at sites where there's just been a hedge between us and a busy road and I must admit I felt uncomfortable. When I saw the pictures of this one on the news I was really shocked, especially as the road is higher than where the pitches are. Sending well wishes and speedy recovery to all those involved and hope they'll feel brave enough to camp again at some point
------------- May/June - Spring Valley
Aug/Sept - Leekworth
I just stayed at a lovely little site on a 40mph limit main road.
The dog did not like walking along the pavement to go to a field just 50m or so from the site. He was startled by big lorries thundering past.
We got used to the noise in no time though.
The barrier from the road was a tall wooden fence, then trees and hedges, then a narrow dog exercise area.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
As well is two words!
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Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Apparently it was a young driver who had passed their test in June this year. To roll a car several times they must have been going at quite a high speed.
A barrier would not have stopped the car, but what is frightening is that there is no barrier to prevent toddlers or young children crossing that road. Definitely not a campsite that we would use.
If it was a young driver, then it brought back memories of a very bad accident in which 4 young people were possibly burnt alive in a crash.
The car was apparently doing 120mph on a 50mph stretch, hit a curb, bounced off to the other side of the road, crashed into a house and burst into flames.
Very tragic.
I drive past that stretch of the road often.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Don't forget to leave a review of the campsites you have visited this year or last!
The online news said the car was going way over the speed limit.
I am surprised there is no fence to keep people out of the site who aren't staying. A fence might have stopped or slowed it if substantial.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
According to the latest news that blueexpo97 posted, a new road is being planned.
But the car was speeding, driven by an inexperienced driver, with passengers. No doubt more will come out after the police investigation, but something similar happened (not at a campsite) to a college student of mine: his girlfriend was driving & someone was sadly killed. He left college, never came back.
There will be more victims in this accident than the people on the campsite. Not all injuries are visible - will the people involved be able to sleep in their tents again? Let’s all hope so.
In addition to the tragic accident I mentioned, another one happened in my town before that, again, due to speeding, with at least one of the passengers being killed, and again, a young driver was involved and he survived. The driver was over the limit at the time of the accident.
Apologies for the thread-jack, however, there is a reason why young drivers have hefty insurance premiums.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
In fairness that is a bit of a generalisation. My kids both passed their tests young, both are responsible drivers and both now drive for a living. Yes some are hot headed and drive erratically but I have also had dangerous encounters with those at the other end of the age spectrum.
------------- May/June - Spring Valley
Aug/Sept - Leekworth
I was staying in Pembrokeshire last weekend - thankfully not on that site but I do know it well. The weather conditions weren't brilliant that night - it had rained earlier in the day and was still overcast. There is no street lighting so it would have been pitch dark as the car headed down the hill to where the crash happened. On the opposite side of the road is a shingle bank - perhaps the car clipped that before veering across the road and into the ditch, but without having been there we can't know.
I can't agree that it was an "accident waiting to happen". The road is more of a local one than a major A road and it has a 30mph limit all the way along the beach front (though this increases to national as soon as the road turns the corner and heads away up the hill - I can see the 30mph zone being extended after this). The site has been there for as long as I can remember with no previous incidents such as this.
We can all wonder 'what if' a fence or similar would have reduced the impact, but I suspect not. If the car had enough momentum to have "rolled 3 times" as reported, a timber fence would have barely slowed it down and possibly caused flying debris to have injured more people. The site would not be able to build a more substantial wall even if they wanted to due to flooding, but if such a structure had been there it could have resulted in the death of one or more of the occupants of the car.
As others have said, I hope the injured recover and feel able to continue camping. (I nearly said carry on camping, but that didn't feel appropriate somehow.)
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
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Topic: Campsite car crash, 9 hurt
via mobile 13/8/2023 at 3:58pm
